Pier Luigi Roglia

8/8/2019 Pier Luigi Roglia

1/32

February 2004 3 Don Bosco's Madonna

Young andHoly...possible?

Fr. Ian Doulton sdb

Our readers might not be wrong to think that the magazine hasgone 'Youth Savvy'. In fact the presence of Don Bosco in India will

soon complete 100 years! That is no mean achievement. Of courseDon Bosco in other parts of the world have completed 100 years. Wein India are having a three year preparation period. This year our

theme is 'Journeying with the Young'. The beautiful calendar that Fr.Edwin sent you is our reminder that Don Bosco is not 100 years oldbut 100 years young!The Witnesses that we have chosen are all youngsters too. We takeour cue from the 50th Anniversary of the canonization of Dominic Savioand the 100th Anniversary of the death of Bl. Laura Vicuna. A youngboy and a young girl on their way to the altar...so it's not only alrightto be young and be holy...it's possible.Don Bosco, in fact, wanted all of us to look at the youngsters of the

21st Century with hope. They are already examples of holiness to uswho may be someway over the hill.As this issue goes to press, Our Rector Major reminds us that Holinessis not just the monopoly of religious and adults but laity andyoungsters as well. It is so easy to be holy...all that is needed is truelove for Jesus Christ, real joy that surges from a heart that is pureand an unquenchable energy that goes out to one's neighbour. I thinkthat that with this programme Fr. Pascual Chavez has shown us thatSalesians working for the young also indicate to parents that their

homes are places of worship and breeding grounds of holiness. Theexample of parents and elders who are worth emulating will showyoung people that neither the flashing neon lights on night clubs northe throb of hip-hop music need necessarily be the only places foryoung people to hear the Lord speak to them.As we end the month of February we shall be ushered into the seasonof Lent...a good time for some spring cleaning...a clarion call torefurbish our life of prayer and to a conversion of our lives.May our Blessed Mother, the Help of Christians who has always been

there for you and for me...help us live our lives in holiness...and wewill find that happiness will not be far behind.Don Bosco told his youngsters it is enough for you to do your duty wellfor you to become a saint. If that is not the pinnacle of holiness thenwhat is?St. Peter says: You are God's chosen...be holy as he who called you isholy! (1 Peter 1:13-15)


2/32


INTRODUCTION TO THE EUCHARISTFr. Erasto Fernandes SSS.

THE EUCHARIST

(This should have just been an intro-duction...but I need to 'introduce theintroduction'. Fr. Erasto has beenso kind as to 'go the extra mile' andwrite this special series for ourmagazine. Even though his introd-uction to the series follows I doalready have his articles for the

coming months. Thank You! FrErasto for this service in love. - Ed.)

Dear Readers,2004 marks the fortieth anniver-

sary of the 38th International

Eucharistic Congress that was heldin Bombay. Those who are in theforefront of Church affairs todaywould possibly not even rememberthe event yet this anniversary isa God-given opportunity for us toreview just what that EucharisticCongress did for the Catholic life

of our city.Coming soon after the VaticanII, the Congress sought to placebefore us Catholics of India thenew teaching of the Councilespecially with regard to the


3/32


Sacraments. Thus, each day of theCongress cel-ebrated onesacrament in the way the VaticanCouncil indicated. As we look back

to the event, it would be valuableto pick out and savour the newelements that featured in thatCongress: that is what we seek todo in our new series of articles.

For about eight years now, ourarticles have focused on thepractical implications of living theEucharist in our daily circumstan-

ces. Taking real life stories, weattempted to spell out the keyresults that should flow from ameaningful celebration of Eucha-rist. For this year we shall go backto the Eucharist itself. We want tohighlight some of the new orien-tations that Vatican II introducedand see how much these are really

part of our lives. From that pers-pective, the articles in this seriesmay appear somewhat heavy andperhaps even less attractive orappealing than those of precedingyears. Nevertheless, we invite ourreaders to spare some time andthought to what is outlined here,so that their personal understan-

ding of the Eucharist gets deepen-ed. This effort will also help inunderstanding and cooperatingwith some of the initiatives under-taken in 2004 by the Archdioceseas part of its celebration of the40th anniversary.

The Eucharist has been des-cribed as the source and summit

of the life of the Church, and wehave been told that all our devo-tions and even apostolate musteither flow from the celebration ofthe Eucharist or should tend to-wards it. In this way, the Eucharistwould become truly a source ofrenewal of Church and Society, areal leaven in the dough, making

its influence felt is ever widercircles. However, we seem to bestill far from experiencing this kindof effect with regard to the Eucha-

rist in our Christian living in Bom-bay. What could be the reason forthis?

One author, J. Haughey ventu-res an opinion as follows: I amconvinced that Christianity is anexplosion still to go off, a revolu-tionary idea still to be comprehen-ded, a banquet in time and history

that has been barely nibbled at, anda source of social change the di-mensions of which are not evenbeing dreamed of These poten-tialities remain stuck in the still-to-be status because of the way wego about Eucharist what we bringto it, what we bring from it. Forthat reason I think Christianitys

potentiality will move to actualityonly if the Eucharist is celebratedin a different way and with a diff-erent perspective (emphasis mine)than it ordinarily is today. What weneed is not to devise alternativeforms of worship, but to worshipaccording to the alternative wehave become in Christ.

Would you be interested in beingamong those who help to make thisgreat explosion go off? Instead ofbeing a suicide-bomber youdbecome a life-bomber bringing toour Archdiocese that fullness of lifethat Jesus came to give you andeveryone you meet. And just howcould you do this? One simple way

would be to read these articlesappearing every month and thendecide what you are going to doabout the topic outlined. Practicalsuggestions will be offered, butthey will remain only on paperunless someone decides to dosomething concrete about it.

You could, for example, discuss


4/32


and practice some of these sugges-tions within the family circle. Per-haps this is where you would meetwith the greatest opposition for

as Jesus told us, no one is a pro-phet in his own land! Just ten tofifteen minutes before dinner eachnight would suffice, for a start. Youcould also discuss and try out someof these suggestions among yourfriends and colleagues at yourplace of work at the risk, ofcourse, of being dubbed a holy

Joe. Long arduous train journeysto and from work each day couldbe lightened with a lively discussionon some of these ideas and sugg-estions. Prayer meetings, Nightvigils, and other similar eventswhere people meet to share abouttheir faith, could also be the occa-sion for spirited discussions on

these topics. You will have noticedthat what we are suggesting is thatit is not enough only to name theyear as Year of the Eucharist. Ifit is to be truly a Eucharistic Year,then the Eucharist must become apassion, almost an obsession, forus. Our objective would be to catchup with all that we have missed in

the past forty years with regard tothe Eucharist. We could of course,sit back and blame every Tom,Dick and Harry within sight for ourlack of knowledge and enthusiasmregarding the central event of ourfaith. Or, we can decide to get offour haunches and set the ballrolling.

As you begin to take a lively int-erest in the subject, there willundoubted be a lot of questionsthat crop up which you find diffi-cult to answer. Do write to us aboutthese questions and we shall setaside an issue or two to answerthem as lucidly as is possible. Du-ring this eventful year, be an apos-

tle of the Eucharist together withSt. Peter Julian who was the firstto found a Congregation set aparttotally for the spread of knowledge

and love of the Eucharist. And eventoday, the Blessed SacramentCongregation is the only religiousbody that is only to name the yearprimarily and exclusively dedicatedto the Eucharist. Our aim is toourselves understand the Eucharistbetter and better, to celebrate iteach time more meaningfully and

to live it out courageously. Andthen we go out and do the samewith regard to the people we meet.Experience has shown us that rightfrom the highest level to that evenof school children and first-communicants, correct andinspiring knowledge about theEucharist is somewhat rare.

Hence, the tremendous scope andimportance of a venture like ours to make the Eucharist betterknown and loved! Should you beinspired to join us in this energeticeffort, you are welcome to get intouch. q

Come to the Table of the Lord,my friend.


5/32


Newsof

DON BOSCO IN THE WORLD

Per - 500 young people gatheredtogether on 14 December at theDon Bosco College in Piura. Theywere there to give their impressionsabout the effect the formationprogramme Valientes para Amar(Courageous in Love) had had ontheir lives. The meeting wasorganised by Fr Casimiro Iraolafrom the parish team of Mary Helpof Christians, the Bosconia Centreand the Don Bosco College. Otherschools such as Domingo Savio,La Pontificia, the Jos MaraEscriv de Balaguer NationalSchool and a section of the CsarVallejos University were alsoinvolved in the occasion. TheCollege played several orchestralpieces and these were followed bysome stage productions aboutAIDS and self esteem. Then therewas the distribution of thecertificates for those completingthe programme Valiente par Amar.

Ghana - In a decision taken 11thDecember, the Rector Major andhis Council established the newVice Province of Africa West (AFW)inlcuding the four nations of Ghana,Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone,and appointed Fr. Richard

Castellino as its first Superior. Forthe first time, Bl. Artemides Zattihas been chosen as Patron of anew juridical circumscription,indicating in this case particularly,the early flowering of Brothervocations. Fr. Castellano is the firstprovincial appointed by the currentwinter session of the General

Council. The new vice provincecomprises 80 Salesians, 40 ofwhom are perpetually professedexaptriate members and 40 local(including 5 priests) with 10novices. They are spread amongst7 canonically erected communit-ies all with at least 5 confreres tothe community. It is expected thatthe vice province office will be inGhana. The new Vice Province willofficially commence on 5thJanuary 2004.

Mauritius - Port-Louis- It is noteasy to get the youngsters in thenorthern suburbs of Port Louis (thecapital of Mauritius),but theCollge Technique Saint Gabriel(Sainte Croix) has succeeded.Between 17 November and 6December. The colours of the nat-ional flag showed their diversityand the programme showed themunity. On the programme therewere the following topics: courageand trust; humility and truth;solidarity and respect. Mgr.Maurice Piat, bishop of Port-Louis,Fr Jean-Claude Veder, in charge ofYouth Ministy, Fr Alain Romaine,in charge of Catechesis, and otherreligious and civil leaders visitedthe holiday camp. The event conc-luded with a celebration that in-cluded the parents. The youngs-ters asked the Salesians to con-tinue the idea. The Salesians ans-wer was: We shall keep the DonBosco Oratory going every day.There has never been anything likeit before in Mauritius! q


6/32


LOVE YOUR FAMILIES

byJuliet Bromley-Martin

When Mother Teresa wasawarded the Nobel Prize,

someone asked her, What, canwe do to promote worldpeace? She replied, Gohome and love your family.How often do we reflect on whatit means to love? Have wereally taken on board ourLords command?

He does not call every one ofus into the gutters of Calcutta.But He does call every one ofus to love those He has put nearus. What a practical philosophy,to love ones neighbour! If weall obeyed His command, everysingle person in the world wouldknow love.

But how can we manage thisin practise? Despite all our bestintentions we often seem to fallat the first fence. However,there is a sacrament that canteach us a lot about how to putthis love into practice. It is notone that we have all beenbrought up to know, butsomething that SouthAmericans recognise as asacrament. This is el sacramentodel momenta presente - thesacrament of the present moment.The celebration of this sacramentis the key to living out our Lords

command to love our neighbour.Every day we are faced with athousand opportunities to love ourneighbour and a thousand ways tolove God. They are of the utmostimportance. Why? Becauseopportunities, though many, comebut once. Furthermore, we havebeen told not to concern ourselves

with the future (Do not worryabout tomorrow, for tomorrow willworry about itself -Matthew 6:34).

The present moment is aninvitation to serve God; it is a giftfrom God and it is all we have -who knows if we will be alive,healthy, free tomorrow?

But it is all too easy to miss thepresent moment. We can becomeso engrossed in our concerns thatwe fail to notice Jesus right there


7/32


in front of us - be it in the disguiseof a friend, colleague, familymember, house mate. Even theworthiest of worries can distract us

away from Gods call.How much time do we spend inour own little world, oblivious to thepeople around us? In this time wehurry past people, maybe pushingthrough them. Bang! We have lostabout twenty opportunities to offersomeone the attention God isasking us to give them.

It may only be that we need togive someone a smile, or to bearwitness to a calmer lifestyle, a less

anxious expression, a greatercelebration of life, for lifes sake.

And it is these little things of lifethat make such a difference to usall. But in order to see the little

things, to celebrate the gift of thepresent moment, we have to slowdown. That is the key. If I werentin such a hurry on my way homefrom work, if concerns werentbuzzing so madly in my head, thenI would give a very differentmessage to the people I pass everyday. More importantly, I would

give a very different message tothe people who I may only passonce in a lifetime.

It is only by slowing down, by

taking time to be aware of what ishappening in the world around us,that we can wake up to thepresent. And it is in waking up tothe present that we are able torealise our daily vocation to loveour neighbours.

Our lives can be frustrating,worrying, stressful. But that is not

necessarily because we are stuckin the wrong place with the wrongpeople. It is because our vocation

to love our neighbours is difficult.But it is always my vocation, it is

always your vocation. We haveno(been asked to go far to do this,nor have we been asked to plan a

solution for future generations tobe loved.God simply asks us to love the

person He puts in front of us everyday.

And that means practicing anawareness of those around us, itmeans celebrating the sacramentof the present moment. q


8/32


NEWSBITS

ZIMBABWEZimbabwes authoritarian govern-ment is recruiting young peopleinto militia groups to suppresspolitical opponents, an ecumenicalChristian group has charged. TheSolidarity Peace Trust, composedof Church leaders from Zimbabweand South Africa, has released areport saying that the regime ledby President Robert Mugabe trainsyoung soldiers-including children- touse force and even torture againstpolitical opponents. ArchbishopPius Neube of Bulawayo ,thechairman of the Solidarity PeaceTrust, said that the militiarecruitment is designed to promoteblatantly anti-democratic, racist,and xenophobic attitudes. Sincemany militia members are underthe age of 18, he added, theirinvolvement in what are essentiallymilitary operations constitutes acrime against humanity.

AUSTRALIAAn Australian bishop is asking fora personal meeting with a legislator

who suggested a new lawthreatening the seal of confession.Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adel-aide said he wants to speak withNick Xenophon, a state legislatorwho proposed legislation thatwould require priests to inform civilauthorities about child abuse, evenif they learned about the offensethrough a penitents confession.Archbishop Wilson said that hehoped to explain the Churchpolicy to Xenophon. We dontwant to step away from carryingout our responsibilities for theprotection of children, he said;but at the same time in theCatholic Church there is anabsolute ban on priests sayinganything that they have heard inconfession.

VENEZUELAVenezuelas President HugoChavez has renewed his publicattacks on his countrys Catholicbishops, calling them a group ofliars and charging that they wereinvolved in an attempted coup in2002.Chavez said that several membersof the hierarchy participated inthe April 2002 coup that removedhim from power for 48 hours, untilloyal troop restored him to power.There are bishops from theCatholic Church who knew a coupwas on the way and they usedchurch installations to bring coupplotters together, Chavez said.He called the bishops immoraland spokesmen for theopposition.Archbishop Baltazar Porras ofMerida, president o the bishopsconference, replied that Chavez

Archbishop Pius Neube ofBulawayo, Zimbabwe, hascriticized President RobertMugabe for recruiting youngpeople into violent militia


9/32


was lashing out at the Church todivert attention from the realproblem s affecting the countryand to prevent a recall vote.

GREAT BRITAINArchbishop Vincent Nichols ofBirmingham has launched anunprecedented attach on theBritish Broadcasting Corporation(BBC).Archbishop Nichols had directedhis anger toward a new investiga-

tive series called KenyonConfronts, which spotlights child-abuse charges in the Birminghamarchdiocese. But he went on to citeseveral other examples of the BBCshowing anti-Catholic bias. Thearchbishop admitted that Churchleaders had made mistakes in theirhandling of child abise cases but

said the Kenyon investigation wasabsolutely offensive and showedeither malice toward the Churchor a total lack of judgment. Hestressed that the Church had nowintroduced tough new guidelines toprevent future lapses.

IRAN

An Iranian humanrights lawyer,Shirin Ebadi, recei-ved the Nobelpeace prize for2003. The supriseannouncement ofEbadis selectionbrought an end to

widespread specu-lation that PopeJohn Paul II would have receivedthe honour. Ebadi, a former judgehas clashed frequently with Islamicauthorities in Iran, was honouredfor her work in favour of childrensrights.Sources in Norway, where the

Nobel Committee made itsannouncement, said that Pope JohnPaul was seriously consideredbecause of his opposition to the

war in Iraq. However, the sourcesadded, some members of theselection committee were hostileto the Pope because of his defenseof traditional moral principles onissues such as contraception andabortion. The announcement onOctober 3, 2003 brought a senseof disappointment to the Vatican,

where some officials had indicatedin advance that the pontiff wouldaccept the prize, and even makean effort to travel to Oslo for theawards ceremony.

Pope John Paul visited the

Pompeii shrine fulfilling a vowhe had made for the Year ofthe Rosary. This was thePope's 143rd trip inside Italy inthe course of his pontificate - tothe cause of world peace.

IRELANDOnly half of the Catholics in Ireland

attend Mass weekly, and even inrural areas only 60 per cent attendweekly, according to a pollreleased last year by Ireland's statebroadcaster RTE.The poll of adults 18 and olderfound 10 percent fewer Catholicsoverall attended Mass since thelast poll in 1998. q


10/32


PROFILE

S

An illustrious family of Gothicdescent lived in Genoa, the

Rggla family. The head of thehousehold, Signor Rggla was apharmacist, while Signora Rgglawas known among the refined anddistinguished ladies of the city. In1939 she gave birth to Pier Luigiand as he grew up he received afine education. The boy was intelli-gent and studious but like anotheryoungster his age he also yearnedto explore, play and enjoy what lifehad to offer.

At age 10 he received his FirstHoly Communion followed by his

Confirmation. Pier Luigi Rggla wasenrolled as a scout too. From Jesus,his first friend, he learnt that life was agift given to him out of love. Then foll-owed Elementary and middle school.

Pier Luigi was a bright and strongwilled teenager who not only studiedLatin, he enjoyed it. He loved thelong hikes with his companions of the

scout troop roughing it out to the full.He confided in a spiritual director

who was an exemplary religiousand to whom he opened his heartregularly in confession. It was at hisadvice that he received Holy Com-munion regularly and from theredrew his strength to combat everyweakness as well as to try and live

an upright Christian life. Whateverhe set his hand to he gave it his best.

When he was only 13 years oldhis father was killed in a road acci-dent. The loss of his father left himdevastated. That was a day hewould never forget. Praying aboutthis one reads in his journal:-Both of you, dear Lord and Papa,do help me from heaven!

A Leader among his companionsHe enrolled himself in high

school and studied The Explora-tions of Christopher Columbus tothe New World."

He kept a journal and as the days

passed his faith grew even his pers-pective on life began to mature.

In the summer of 1955 he wentto London with some friends to seeEngland. One evening sitting witha friend a feeling of nostalgia cameover him and he said: -See, howbeautiful the sunset is!

Pier Luigi wrote in his journal

that night:The scene was breathtak-ing: dark grey clouds, and they grad-ually turned into shades of gold inthe light of the setting sun. Then thelast rays pierced through the cloudsthat was the happiest moment Iexperienced in a long time.

During that night he kept vigilin prayer under the starry sky and

Pier Luigi ROGGLA

The Young man whomet Jesus


11/32


allowed God to speak to him. Hethought about his dad:I kiss this photograph. I am grateful for youhaving given me life and for savingmother for me. I pray for her.

His high school studies weretough. So often he thought of hismother he yearned to relax andspend time with her or his friendsbut he disciplined himself and hisfaith matured. He went to themeadows of Liguria with the scoutsand to the Alps. Generosity was hishallmark with those who accompan-

ied him and yet, he made sure thatthe Lord was the centre of every-thing and this youngster knew thepower of prayer too. This is whathe once said:O good Lord, you havegiven us intelligence to always chooseto do what Jesus taught us.

His intelligence did serve himwell as he continued to do every-

thing with Jesus in mind. A youngstrapping lad was certainly tempt-ed to sensuality but he was certainthat this was not what the Lordwanted of him. He was a good friendto each one of those who encoun-tered him and yet he never got in-timate with the girls in the highschool. He was convinced that his

heart was set aside to love God andthe whole wide world. He prayedto the Madonna daily for this graceas he prayed the Rosary; that hemay be helped to avoid the occas-ions of sin. He wanted his heart tobe free and uninhibited to alwaysstrive against current of worldly allu-rements with just one aim alone: toserve his neighbour!

In a world that was straining itselfaway from God he felt that thegreatest service he could do wasto communicate his Faith. Hewrote:Last night I became awareof a companion who professed hisunbelief. There are unfortunately somany youngsters who leave the pathof Christ very conveniently attribu-ting it to their intellectual prowess;but what could one have studied injust 18 years of life?

He felt a strong desire to become

an apostle to make the love of Christknown around him. He realized thatif he were to be able to do this morecompetently he would have to im-prove his knowledge of the faith him-self. The truths of the faith were tohim a source of joy. His journal re-cords once more: Besides holdingmy faith aloft among my companions

I have to live life to the full and thatshould make me happyvery happy.

Standing for HimOne day in 1956 he wrote these

words of Christ in his journal: Beon your guard! Dont let yourself beoccupied with too much feasting anddrinkingor that day may suddenly

catch you like a trap. Be alert and pray always that you will have thestrength to go safely through allthose things that will happen and tostand before the Son of Man.(Lk.21,34-36)

Pier Luigi was aware that life wasbrief and his love for the Lord increa-sed like great waves. He often repea-


12/32


ted the plea of the disciples of Emm-aus:Stay with us, Lord, for the dayis now far spent and the night is athand.(Lk 24,29)

Jesus was the light that illumina-ted him in the dark night of his soul.He wrote:"How beautiful it would beto be able to say like Peter: Lord, wehave left all to follow you but to letgo of everything is difficult.

The year 1956 found Luigi inAssisi for Easter. He found in St.Francis a brother and he admiredhis total devotion to God in the spiritof poverty:How beautiful to be so pureand to clear ones mind of all earthlythoughts to be able to see everything ashe (Francis) saw them.

He spent an entire night in pray-er and laid bare his soul before theLord:Service: what do I intend todo? What are my duties to my familyand my studies?

In July 1958 he was enrolled inthe university majoring in the disci-plines of Economics and Commer-ce. He prayed:Lord, help to me todetach myself from human respect, tohave the courage to go against thecurrent. He was admired by theScout Master and members of theother movements too. Pier Luigi

even graduated to become a rover.At the University, his model wasPier Giorgio Frassati, who was aff-able and friendly. He fearlesslyspoke and witnessed to his faith.Pier Luigi cultivated a sense of thepresence of God and a love for whathe did and for study. His keen atten-tion to the problems of the Church

and society were admirable. He tru-ly learnt his faith and began to speakabout it too:Let us love each otherand Jesus in our midst... as we followthe teachings of the Church. Jesus willbe our guide. In the Church, we are aspupils before our Teacher... my dearbrother let go of your heart and giveit to Jesus... in doing so we will find

that our Faith becomes easier to live.We will serve each other more eagerly. All this seems difficult todaybutwell get used to it.

He helped many out of their crisesof faith. Nothing he did was donewithout prayer and discernment. Heoften had premonitions about thestate of peoples lives and said: "Iam afraid to die soon and leave youalone. But dont let that worry you:from up there I will have the power toalways help you.

Jesus on the roadHe was nearing his graduation.

At the beginning of September1962, Pier Luigi went to Lourdes,to the feet of the Madonna, toserve as a volunteer caregiver tothe sick as a wheelchair assistantand he was a thoughtful brother.He often tired and his strength see-

med to failbut after a little resthe was his usual jovial self again.He returned to Genoa very happyand took up his normal routine.

But God thought otherwise.On 22 September 1962, a fall

from a motorbike brought him tohis fatal end. It was his time to meetthe Lord he had loved so dearly

and he was just 23 years old! Atthe funeral someone commented:- The Pier George Frassati of Genoais dead! At the spot of his accident,to this day more some 40 yearslater on 22 September his friendsassemble in prayer. Some time ea-rlier Pier Luigi had written: "Lord, Ido not ask for fame, health nor honour

but I ask for humility and poverty. Idont ask you to make the path easyfor me, to remove the obstacles alongthe way, but give me the strength toovercome all of them in your Name.May I do everything in your name andin your name bring them to complet-ion and should I forget I thank younow and always for this grace. Amen.q


13/32


IN A CHEERFUL MOODNo surprise at allThe doctor of a country village had

two children who were acknowledg-ed by the inhabitants as being theprettiest little girls in the district.While the two children were outwalking one day, they happenedto pass quite near two small boys;one lived in the village and theother was a visitor.I say, said the latter to his friend,

who are those little girls?They are the doctors children,replied the village lad. He alwayskeeps the best for himself.

Tell me whyWillie: Teacher says were hereto help others.Papa: Of course we are.Willie: Well, what are the othershere for?

No doubt about itFather was sitting in the armchairone evening, when his littleson came in and showedhim a new penknife, whichhe said he had found in thestreet.

Are you sure it was lost?inquired the father.Of course, it was lost! I sawthe man looking for it!replied the youngster.

It really hurts Joeys aunt: Wont youhave another piece of

cake, Joey?Joey(on a visit):No, thankyou.Joeys aunt: You seem tobe suffering from a loss ofappetite.Joey: It aint loss ofappetite, Auntie. What Im

sufferin from is politeness.

What? No Thank youThey were at dinner and the dain-ties were on the table.Will you eat tart or pudding?asked Papa of Henry.Tart, said Henry promptly.His father sighed as he recalledthe many lessons on good mannershe had given the boy.Tart, what? he queried kindly.But Henrys eyes were glued onthe pastry.Tart, what? asked the fatheragain, sharply this time.Tart, first, answered Henrytriumphantly.

Its a new worldGrandma: Would like to go to the

fair and ride on the merry-go-round?Modern Child: I dont mind, if itwill amuse you. q

Courtesy: Fr. Justin McCarthy

"Is this commercial your idea?"


14/32


The gesture of the priests hands extended over the gifts at thealtar as always impressed me. I look at those who will come up to

receive the Eucharist, they walk up the aisle moving toward the altarin prayer, in silence, in order to receive the Eucharistic Bread, a signof love eternal.

Every day we see this touching scene that sends us back in timeagain to that tired crowd on the hillside. The Lord had compassion on

them. Intently he stretched out his hands in welcome, accepted thesatchel of bread from the hands of the little lad and from this offeringhe multiplied his generosity.

The hands of those same people perhaps refused to acknowledgehim a couple of days later. They went against him in the city squareand before the praetorium in Jerusalem.

Those same hands, our hands serve us to help me write a loving

message or threat; to sign into law an act of war or a plea for peace.They dial the phone to a dear friend or scream in order to reject andabuse another.

Hands are also visible signs that encourage the soul while curing thebody. The same hands can make hypocritical gestures or those ofdeception. They can express a thousand signs of hatred or contradic-tion that lead to misunderstanding.

Hands that hold a loved one in a warm firm embrace of friendshipcould also be hands that steal, beat, strangle, or press the trigger on

a weapon that kills.Hands are lifted in greeting, hands that beg or implore, or maybe

hands that make obscene gestures.Hands that you let hang loosely in despair or that you stretch out to

dry a tear and caress someone in consolation.Hands joined in prayer or hands limp in boredom.Think of the tender hands of a young girl or the strong hands of a

man calloused and roughened by hard work; kind and gentle hands,clean hands and dirty hands, bare hands or hands bedecked with

jewels.

There are hands that unite and hands that divide. There are slenderhands that join in conjugal love at the altar of God and hands that signdivorce documents on the table of a solicitor.

You must have seen hands that beat ones breast in repentance andhands that immediately acquit and absolve.

Hands that care, they bandage, they help to heal.

HANDS


15/32


There are somany references tohands in prayer:Father, into your

hands I commend myspirit,the Lordgroaned in agonyon the cross. Aperson of faith says:They are in thehands of God.There are religioussongs that have

words like: I givemy hands to do yourwork Behold,here the hand ofGod is at work!words said pointingout to Hisprovidentialinterventions.

Hands are used asindicators on roadsigns. John theBaptist used hishands to point outthe Messiah just asthe hands of a priest raise up the Bread and Wine, the body andblood of the Lord inviting us to adore them.

The hands of all humankind reveal the soul.

It is more the attitude that touches the heart and makes one greatin the eyes on others. At the Eucharistwhatever they are, they arealways hands outstretched asking for the Body of Christ, standingbefore the altar. Here all are equal, the ignorant and the scholar, thelucid and the confused, the rich and the poor, saint and sinner, manand woman, the child and the elderly, those in authority and simplecitizens. Here at the altar every difference is levelled by that commondeep truth that all are created equal and are equally poor in the eyesof God. The hands of the beggar are fill with the redeeming presence

of the power of Christ.All these hands bring wealth home to every human soul, the only

wealth that matters. The Eucharist is able to revive our existenceeach time we receive it. It performs secret changes in every individualsoul. It is the Viaticum which means that it is the companion thattakes our hands along the way. He (God) does not need cleanhands, he needs above all a new heart and isnt that the spirit ofLent? (Fidelio) q


16/32


YOUTHINT

HEBIBLE

DAVID:HIS

ENCOUNTER

WITH GOLIATH

Having focused on the personof the young David we now

turn our attention to his first majorappearance in the history of Israel.Till now David was just the son ofJesse the Bethlehemite, handsomeno doubt but was that all that therewas to him? We will follow him thro-ugh the Scriptures a little further.

During this time (while Davidwas being anointed the future king

of Israel) there was a war being

waged against the Philistines andthey had a champion whom theydescribed as a giant his name wasGoliath.

In reading 1 Samuel Chapter 17one recalls the many incidentstherein that have become interes-ting Bible stories and even material

for famous films; look for exampleat the story of David and Goliath.David is certainly the hero. Picturethe image of this young boy whochallenges Goliath with a slingshot.Goliath makes fun of him callinghim effeminate. Yet this youngboy will become the symbol of intel-ligence, astuteness and fidelity. This

is a fundamental process when onenotes the lives of those God callsto lead his people. This reveals tothe reader that there is more toBible stories than merely the slayingof Goliaths in human and Biblicalhistory.

If it were not so and David wasdefeated by Goliath we would pro-

bably be accused of having a historythat would probably only provethat might is right which wouldperpetrate more violence than al-ready exists in our day. Down thecenturies one wonders whether wecould justify the actions of so manycrazy individuals and criminals thathit the headlines right up to thetime of this printing. (The attemp-ted assassination on the Presidentof Pakistan) One underlying factorthat is the theme of all these storiesis that that these acts are motiva-


17/32


ted by faith? One has to note theintelligence and the courage thatDavid demonstrates when he facedthe hulk Goliath.

In the clash between David andGoliath, the strong presence ofGod reveals itself in history. It is apresence that assures him that Godwill protect his people from thosewho would seek to harm them. Thisis an image of a God who seemeddistant till then until all of a sudden... there was a limit beyond which

he decided to act to bring downthe mighty and raise up the weak.When the young David strode out

to meet Goliath he literally raninto his enemy he did so with afervent hymn of hope, translatedin words of faith that became thebattle cry of the believer: You arecoming against me with sword,

spear, and javelin, but I come againstyou in the name of the Lord Almighty,the God of the Israelite armies, whichyou have defied (... ), then the wholeworld will know there is a God inIsrael. (TEV l Sam 17,45-47).

The casual reader of the story ofDavid and Goliath will obviouslyrealize that it has certainly been ex-

aggerated for dramatic emphasis.Note that the story of the heroicdeeds of David have beenwritten down in order toexalt the personage ofDavid. (However if one wereto carefully read the storyone would find someincongruence). Observe,

for instance, the questionsthat Saul asks David andonly then does David men-tions the city of Jerusalem.It would be the city of theIsraelites only much laterwhen the same David wouldconquer it. There are quitea few other details that

always make such war stories sointeres-ting. The writers at that timealready knew that war stories hadto be intriguing if there were to beinteresting.

Think of the numerous stories inscripture that are peppered withviolence and yet the Bible narratesthese against the tapestry of thestory of a people of faith and yetwar seems a kind of contradiction,violence on a mass scale, a kind ofinjustice.

In summing up it is in fact, the

trust that David places in God morethan either his strength or his intel-ligence in the story of David andGoliath that needs to be empha-sized.

As is often noticed, there will beother Goliaths in Davids life andhe will face them without losingthe faith. Before this David will face

the unexpected hidden hatredbegins to bear towards him. q


18/32


TESTED IN THE FIRE (16)This is a series of true stories that describe the resilience of love. Thismonth's story is set in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in July 1992 and has been

translated from Italian by Susan Gatley

The Mobile HomeI

t all began one day when I raninto Marita on the way back

from the market, A young motherof two, she lived opposite ourhouse on the side of the mountain.We had not spoken before, but

seeing her there on her own, ladendown with boxes, balancing abasket of vegetables too, and withher youngest in her arms, I offeredto help her. Thank you, she ans-wered, but my father-in-law willbe here in a moment, so Im okay.

I was continuing along my way,when I saw her other little boy run-

ning up to her: his grandfather wasnot at home after all. So I turnedback, and meeting a friend of minewho had a cart, I said to her, Willyou come with me and give my fri-end here a hand? So she followedme.Sadness and Pain

Marita didnt understand the

reason for so much kindnesstowards her. She was surprised,embarrassed and almost put out.In truth, what had struck me mostabout her was the expression ofpain written large on her face.

I could not leave her like that,on her own. It was at this point, inreply to my question How are

things?, that she muttered It is sadto be alone with your children.But why is that? I asked, HasPaco gone to look for work? Shebegan to cry, telling me that onlythe day before, her husband hadleft her to go and live with anotherwoman.

Sobbing, she confided to me that

the night before she had eventhought of killing herself and herchildren, because nothing madesense to her any more. Everythinghad collapsed. She had lost her hus-band and also her parents, because

the woman betraying her with Pacowas her own sister, and her parentshad been involved in the plot.

I began to cry with her too. I couldnot find any words with which toconsole her. I dont know why Iam telling you all this, she said.But you are young, I replied,You have to fight for your child-

ren. And then remember there isGod, your true Father. He can giveyou the strength to go ahead. Letspray together that Paco will comeback. And then dont feel you areon your own. Ill always be closeby, When we said goodbye to eachother, she seemed a little more atpeace.

Prayers are AnsweredTime passed, and Marita used tolook at me from a distance. Wewould smile at each other and wave.Together with my husband Manueland the children, I kept praying forher. What could a woman do on herown in those conditions?

Then one morning I looked out

of the window and saw Pacocleaning out the hen house. So hehad come back. I was delighted;nothing is impossible to God.More Hardship

Some months later the rainy se-ason began. Torrential rain causedan avalanche which swept awayMarita and Pacos house. They man-


19/32


She had a big sad 'why?' stamped all over her face

aged to save only a few belongingsfrom the mud - some clothing, anda few bits of furniture.

Immediately I swung into action,looking for clothes and furnishingsfor them. But in the meantime,where could they live? If we reallysqueezed together, could they notstay with us? I thought.

My husband Manuel was some-what perplexed. Hadnt they beenthe very neighbours who had beensweeping away all the mud into ouryard? But then, faced with suchgreat suffering, he forgot this littleannoyance and we invited them tocome and stay with us.

They were moved. At that mom-

ent they had in fact somewhere tostay, even though it was only in adisused hut; but to know that theycould count on us for anything,gave them a sense of calm, I think.A Stark Choice

A few days later, the socialworker for the region paid theman unexpected visit to inspect the

hut in which they weresheltering. The upshot ofthis visit was that hepointed out that the hut

lacked the basic livingconditions. So what then?There were two options:either they could go to aboarding house, or elsethey could accept amobile home.

Rejecting the first offer,they were faced with a

major problemconcerning the secondoption. Where could theyput the mobile home?That is how it came aboutthat we offer-ed a pieceof our land. It was small,but it was big enough toput up the four wooden

walls of the prefab.Change of AttitudesThe solidarity they experienced

also from our children led themlittle by little to change many oftheir attitudes. Even the way theyspoke was no longer vulgar as itwas before.

Marita asked to come along

when we used to meet with otherfamilies in order to help each otherto live as true Christians. She isnow a completely changed person.She has found hope again, and thedesire to start over. More thanonce, Paco has offered to go withher to the market to help with theshopping, a thing that never

happened before.For Marita, accepting his accom-paniment has meant facing up tothe gossiping and the embarrass-ment of neighbours who all knowher story well, as it is a smallvillage. Now she and Paco haveforgiven each other and they loveeach other again.q


20/32


O

ne day, a poor

boy named HowardKelly who was sellinggoods from door todoor to pay his waythrough school, foundhe had only a five centcoin left and he washungry.

He decided he would

ask for a meal at thenext house. However helost his nerve when alovely young womanopened the door. Inst-ead of a meal he askedfor a drink of water.

She thought he look-ed hungry so she brought him a

large glass of milk instead. Hedrank it slowly and then asked,How much do I owe you?

You dont owe me anything,she replied. Mother has taughtus never to accept payment forkindness.

He said... Then I thank youfrom my heart.

As Howard Kelly left that house,he not only felt stronger physically,but his faith in God and peoplebecame stronger also. He hasbeen on the verge of giving upand quitting his dreams of aneducation.

Years later, that young womanbecame critically ill. The local doc-

tors were baffled. They finally senther to a metropolitan city, wherethey called in a specialist to studyher rare disease.

Dr Howard Kelly was called infor a consultation. When he heardthe name of the town she camefrom, a strange light filled his eyes.Immediately he rose and went

down the hall of the hospital to her

room.Dressed in his doctors gown he

went in to see her. He recognisedher at once. He went back to theconsultation room determined todo his best to save her life.

From that day on he gave specialattention to the case. After a longtime and struggle, the battle was

won. Doctor Kelly requested thebusiness office to pass the final billto him for approval. He looked atit, then wrote something on the edgeand the bill was sent to the womansroom.

She feared to open it, for she wassure it would take the rest of her lifeto pay for it all. Finally she looked

and something caught her eye onthe side of the bill. She read thesewords; Paid in full with one glass ofmilk. Signed Dr Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes asher grateful heart prayed: Thankyou, God that Your love has spreadabroad through human hearts andhands. q

A Glass of Milk


21/32


DON BOSCO'S BENEFACTORS

Don Bosco: The Times, The Man,The Facts

When he was bidding farewelI

to his missionaries on Novem-ber 11, 1875 Don Bosco gavethem 20 precious gems to remem-ber him. The first one was: Look for souls but not money, honours ordignity(ASC 112, - sec, 5).

Don Bosco spent himself in searchof money that would be needed forhis young boys so that they wouldnever be in need. When it was lack-ing he was not purturbed and whenhe had received the money he didnot spend it carelessly. He wasready to suffer any and everyhumiliation and sacrifice in order to

go where Divine Providence senthim for it. He had tremendous trustin Divine Providence and DivineProvidence never let him down. Heeven gave those around him copious

examples of his trust in DivineProvidence.

On a particular occasion hesaid: I put my hand to anything. After all, how would we eversucceed otherwise? I have unlim-ited trust in Divine Providence, butProvidence also wants us to

contribute all that we can andhave. (B.M. XI, p.43)

The Millionaire SaintDuring his life time Don Bosco

handled large sums of money. Hepaid a dear price for it byenormous sacrifices, humiliatinggestures, at the price of enor-

mous sacrifices, humiliation,lotteries and incessant journeys.It was with this money that hebought bread, clothes, paid forlodgings and scouted for jobs forso many poor boys. He boughthouses, opened boardings andschools, he built churches, startedgreat printing and publishing


22/32


initiatives, launched the SalesianMissions to South America andfinally already worn out by theaffliction, he saw to the construction

in Rome, of the Basilica of theSacred Heart in obedience to thePope.

Not everyone looked favourablyon his activities neither did theyappreciate them. He received hisfair share of anticlerical publicity.This, all the more encouraged him.He took on his commitment with

even greater zeal as the incrimi-nations increased to the point ofridicule. On April 4, 1872 thesatirical periodical Il Fischietto(Trans. The Whistle) reported thatDon Bosco had fabulous funds,while on his death the newspaperIl Birichin a certain Luigi Pietra-cqua published a blasphemous

sonnet in which he called Don Boscoan astute financier ableto extract even bloodfrom a turnip andbranded him themillionaire saint beca-use he counted shovelsfull of millions withoutearning them by the

sweat of his own brow.(Turin 1988).Those who saw the

state of poverty in whichthe Saint lived and diedwould easily understandhow base and demeaningthe satire of Peitracqua

was. It would be correctto call Don Bosco anable and even skilledadministrator of themoney that he receivedin charity of those whokindly supported hisworks but he never setaside nor spent anything

on himself. The furniture in hislittle room at Valdocco consistedin a simple iron bedstead, a littlebedside table, a chair and later a

sofa without even padding nearthe windows. There were nocarpets, not even a blanket.During his last illness oftentormented by thirst they broughthim soda water to give him somerelief but he was reluctant to drinkit believing it was expensive.Those around him had a difficult

time convincing him that it costbarely seven cents a bottle.Towards the end he told Fr.Vigletti: Please be so good as tolook into the pockets of my clothes,as well. You will find my wallet andmy purse there. I do not believe thereis anything else, but should therebe any money, give it to Fr. Rua. I

wish to die in such a way that it


23/32


may be said, Don Bosco diedwithout a penny in his pocket. (cfBM 18, 418).

A Noble PhilanthropistThe Biographical Memoirs andthe letters of Don Bosco have awealth of rich documentation onhis benefactors. Perusing throughthem one would find the names ofalmost 300 noble families and itis not possible to name them orthe numerous others here.

It would be a grave error to pre-sume that his benefactors were allfrom the noble gentry of his day.There were so many who prefer-red not to be named nor recog-nized in any form. They came fromvarious strata of society even fromthe ecclesiastical and the civic

authorities... the middle class andthe simple folk too beginning fromhis most incomprable mother,Margherita who was hisbenefactress par excellence.

Noting that we are looking atparticular facets of Don Boscoslife for the moment we might dwell

awhile on personages of thedistinguished Italian and foreignnobility who supported DonBoscos work. He was particularto notice their simplicity and theircandidness. Yet they were daringenough to support such a contro-versial cleric of their day... andbrave considering the anticlerical

atmosphere that pervaded Turinduring the second half of thenineteenth century.

Here is a characteristic exam-ple. In 1866 Don Bosco wrote aletter to the countess CountessHenrietta Bosco di Ruffino, of theRiccardo family which was already

connected to the oratory ofValdocco for many years. This wasone of the letters he wrote to re-quest by way of funds to help in

the repair of the clothes of his boys.Here is the text:Turin, May 16 th 1866 Respected Countess,

As I am unable to visit you I wishyou to know that I would come therewillingly but for the fact that I amhere dressed in the rags of the poor

of Jesus Christ and in these rags(roba grama) I request your charityin helping me patch and mend theseclothes. Be assured that you will becompensated with an eternalreward.

God bless you, and your familywhile I have the honour to professmy deep esteem and respect for you

as,I remainYour most obliged,Fr. John Bosco,

(From the Letters of Don Bosco, letterN. 919)

In this letter Don Bosco excuseshimself for being unable to meet

the Countess in person. In his placehe sends a bundle of rags of theboys to be mended. (Roba gramawhich literally means in Piedmont-ese garbage.) Before men theyare rags in the eyes of God theyare precious treasure...for inclothing the naked one clothes theperson of Christ!

If one wants an insight into therelationships Don Bosco had withhis benefactors one cannot fail tonotice that they are veiled with anevangelical spirit. q

(By Natale Cerrato, translated andadapted by ID)


24/32


1

THE EUCHARIST, IMAGES OF CHRISTTHE CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

What is the difference between

Eucharist and Communion?

Eucharist is an activity. Comm-union is part of that activity.Eucharist is a two-fold celebrationmade up of the Liturgy of theWord and the Liturgy of theEucharist. In that celebration weenter into the ongoing experience

of Christs passion, death, andresurrection. We say that weremember that experience, butit is deeper than just remembering.We actually become a part of thatreality. In that way, Christspresence becomes real for us.

In order for Christs presence to

become that real for us, severalthings will happen. There will be agathering of believers. Gods Wordwill be proclaimed. A eucharisticprayer, composed according to anancient outline and proclaimed byan ordained presider, will beprayed over gifts of bread andwine. And the assembly will receive

communion.Communion by itself, without the

celebration of the Eucharist, is areminder of the eucharistic liturgyand is in a powerful way thepresence of Christ. But it is not thefull celebration of the gatheredassembly. Receiving communion

apart from Mass is helpful and

sometimes necessary, but wenever want to confuse that with thecelebration of Eucharist, which isthe core of our faith.

If the psalm of the day is soimportant, wouldnt it be better torecite the chosen psalm instead ofsinging a different one?

To understand why singing asea-sonal psalm is a better optionthan reciting the psalm of the day,we have to remember the purposeof the psalm. The responsorialpsalm is our enthusiastic responseto the saving Word of God (Musicin Catholic Worship 63). Ritually,

this demands a sung response.Singing involves more of ourselves.Singing requires energy. It alsorequires something of acommitment and a sacrifice.Traditionally, when something isreally important, we sing about it.For example, we sing the NationalAnthem, Happy Birthday, and

school fight songs. Mostcommercials include singingbecause the advertiser wants us toknow his or her product is worthsinging about. So singing is the pri-ority. The responsorial psalm isspoken only on rare occasions.Even at weekday Masses, most ass-emblies can learn a few simple


25/32


psalm chants that can be sung acapella.(Answers by Nick Wagner, Editor of'MODERN LITURGY, MA Liturgical

Studies, USA)

A non-Catholic friend claims thatthere are no citations in the Biblewhich permit or condone images ofChrist to be displayed as we do in ourchurches. Can you please direct me tosome biblical authority for thispractice.

First, we Catholics do not look uponthe Bible as a big dictionary whichwe consult for every move. Beyondthat, our view of scripture is not thatwe need a scriptural mandate foreverything we do; all we require isthat there is no biblical prohibition.

The only scriptural text to whichFundamentalists point is in the OldTestament, wherein the Decalogueforbids the fashioning of gravenimages but even that law was notabsolute, for the ancient Hebrewsare likewise directed by the sameGod to make images of the cherubimto adorn the ark of the covenant and

Moses is told to make a bronzeserpent, on whom the children ofIsrael are to gaze.

Finally, Christian theology fromthe earliest days has held that whileattempts to image God under theOld Covenant were not allowed anddeemed blasphemous, that is not the

case under the New Covenant sinceGod has appeared in the mystery ofthe Incarnation of His Divine Son,something highlighted in theCatechism of the Catholic Church (#2132) - (The Catholic Answer)

Mass ConfusionSome time ago we attended Mass at a

Parish, however the Mass raisedtwo questions in our minds.

1) The priest ommitted the 'I

Confess' , the 'Lord have mercy,'and 'Gloria.' In speaking to himafter Mass, we found that it hadnot been simply forgotten.According to this priest, these maybe ommitted during the 50 days following Easter. Also, he men-tioned that when there is no choir,as was the case on that occasion

the Gloria was omitted. We haveconcern that the Mass was invalid.Was the Mass valid? Was thepriest's omission licit?2) This priest also said that if nochoir could be found for the secondSunday Mass, he would dis-continue it. Is this justified?

Let's do this in order of present-ation.1) No, his omissions were notjustified. While not invalidating,they were grossly illicit. I wouldsuggest you ask him to show youthe document which allegedlylegitimates his practices. He'll notbe able to produce one.

2) On the second point, as won-derful as it is to have a choir, howcan one make this a sine qua nonfor celebrating a Mass? If thepriest in question paid as muchattention to the Church's realliturgical laws as he wants peopleto heed his made-up rules, things

would probably go a lot better.(The Catholic Answer) q


26/32


LISTENING

with

the heart

Come on...

Let's Chatwith JesusRizzi

iovanni Gherardi&

D.

Text by: Jimmy RizziDrawings by: Giovanni GherardiTranslation & adaptation: I.D.

READING A SECOND TIMETHIS IS MEDITATION PROPER

1) AN EXCAVATION

In meditation we have to go below the surface. Strength! That iswhat you need, In daily life if one has to go below the surfaceone uses abulldozer. Even inthe things of the'heart' one usesthese measures ofstrength...ofcourse it does notmean literally, butstrength...of will.

This would meantaking out the topsoil of the caresand theattractions ofdaily life and thengoing below thesurface...deeperand deeper.


27/32


2) Breaking the Shell:When you sit down tomeditate it is as if you werecracking a walnut. It wouldmean that in order to get tothe kernel one has to breakthe hard shell, the shell ofour own stubborn habits. Butwithout that...we will be justscratching the surface.

A VERY SUITABLERUSSIAN PROVERBSAYS:GOD GIVES US WALNUTSBUT HE DOES NOT CRUSHTHEM FOR US

Therefore God gives us walnuts... they are the many gifts we have.But he doesn't chew them for us...he doesn't remove the shell. Itis for us to remove the shell and discover the hidden treasuresthat lie beneath. It is the same with the word of God. Meditationis that moment when we crack open this 'spiritual walnut' and see

the precious kernel of riches that the Word of God holds for us.REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU FIND WHAT IS WITHIN THEWALNUT...WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND IN THE SILENCE OF YOURMEDITATION...GUARD IT JEALOUSLY. IT IS GOD'S WORD FORYOU...AND ONLY YOU

A good example of this is Our Blessed Mother...the Bible says: "Mary pondered all these things in

her heart." (Lk 2:19)


28/32


B) HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT THIS ?Above all one one needs to keep the points of the meditation inmind. It may be a phrase that you will memorize...

Think of this story to illustrate the fact:A disciple once complained to his teacher: "You tell us so many storiesand parables...but you never reveal their meaning." The teacher said:"What would it feel like if I chewed the fruit and then gave it to you toswallow, how would you like it? Therefore, no one can replace theparticular shade of meaning that you will find in a particular story. Themeaning will differ from person to person. Not all will find the samemeaning. It might not speak so loudly to even your closest neighbour."

Therefore the meaning you will find will be very different. TheBible is a vast storehouse of treasures for each one.

Why do you think the Virgin Mary was so serene? It was becauseshe understood God's Word for her life and she could accept it.

YOU WILL FIND OBSTACLES. . . CERTAIN ENEMIES ALONG THE WAY AND YOUMUST LEARN HOW TO HANDLE THEM . . .THEY COULD DISTRACT YOU FROMFINDING THE REAL TREASURES OF THE WORD OF GOD.LET US SEE SOME OF THEM . . .

1) SLEEPThe place around you is so silent andyou find yourself in a verycomfortable position...there's not a

sound and you get drowsy. Silence isa very fertile atmosphere to meditatebut it is also most conducive to sleep.Don't forget that the Word of God isa lamp for your footsteps, and a lightto keep you awake.

2) HASTE AND PREOCCUPATIONAnother enemy you should be preoccupied about...especially thoseof you who are worried about the many responsibilities that youbear. It may be an appointment...it may be paying a bill...it may bethat long delayed phone call...all these are causes of worrying youand you keep looking at your watch...or you are feeling your


29/32


pockets...There is no need

to worry. Everything hasits time. Your time withthe Lord is PRIME TIME,it is QUALITY TIME...andthat time will not gowaste. Just make certainthat you don't sit down tomeditate with a clock in

your hand...then you willfind that time crawls and you won't meditate...

3) SUPERFICIALITY

One of the worst andmost devious enemiesof a good meditation isa sense ofsuperficiality...youwill realize this whenyou 'feel' that youhave got nothing outof the meditation...

You just take your'book of meditation'or your 'Bible' andyou keep onreading...not stoppingwhen the Spirit is trying to whisper to give you someadvice...you've got to bide the time away and that seems to be themost important. aim. You won't make any discoveries...nothing willchange...your outlook on life will remain the same...oh, what a pitythis time has gone by and you are where you were...daydreamingand not allowing the Word to speak to you.

THE WORD OF GOD IS WAITING TO SPEAK TO YOU...ARE YOU TRYING TO LISTEN?

PERHAPS IT WOULD BE GOOD TO FIND OUTWHICH 'ENEMY' YOU HAVE BEFRIENDED.


30/32


31/32


The devotion of the THREE HAIL MARYS isa very simple yet most efficacious devotion. Everyday, recite Three Hail Marys, adding theinvocation: "O Mary, My Mother, keep me frommortal sin." Many people recite the Three Hail

Marys as part of their morning and nightprayers. To practise this devotion in time of danger, stress, special need or temptation, is a

sure means to obtain Our Lady's help.

THE DEVOTION OF THE THREE HAIL MARYS

Dear Mother Mary, Our sincere thanks for granting us the graces wereceived and copious blessings through the faithful recitation of the 3Hail Marys. Mrs. P. Heldt, AustraliaMy heartfelt thanks to Mary Help of Christians and Dominic who grantedme a normal delivery through the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

J.R. Fernandes, BombayMy sincere thanks and deep gratitude for giving my som a suitable jobin Dubai through the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Dulan Rodrigues, BombayOur grateful thanks to Our Lord and Mary Help of Christians for all thegraces we received. Sonia Sequeira, BombayThanks dear Mother Mary for having heard our prayers and granted ourfavours. Mr. German Rebello, GoaThanks to our loving Mother Mary for saving me from a motor bikeaccident through the daily recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Shelton Motha, KeralaOur thanks to our blessed Mother for so many favours granted to usthrough the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Mrs. R. James, AustraliaMy grateful thanks to mary Help of Christians for all the graces I receivedthrough the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Mrs. Filda Mazarello, BombayThank you Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary Help of Christians forthe many graces I received through the recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Ms. S. Williams, Pune

I am grateful to Mother Mary and Don Bosco for all the graces I receivedthrough the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.Mrs. Rosa Fernandes, Mira Road

Thank you dearest Mother for granting me success in the firstprofessional MBBS examination and for all the other favours receivedthrough your intercession and through the recitation of the 3 Hail Marys.

Philomena Mathew, AmritsarMy heartfelt thanks dear Mother Mary for all the graces received throughthe recitation of the 3 Hail Marys. Mrs. I.M. Lobo, Bahrain


32/32

THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO

OUR LADY AND DON BOSCO

Our apologies to all those who promised publications of favours received andwhose letters did not appear yet in Don Bosco's Madonna in one of the sections. Weare delighted that you wrote but unfortunately there isn't enough space available forthe very many letters and thanksgiving notes. I am certain that Our Lady and DonBosco understand and I think that they would agree that your promise of publicationis fulfilled by the very fact that you reported your favour to us. (The Editor)

My belated but sincere thanks dear Mary Help of Christians and StJohn Bosco for all the graces and favours I received.

Sebastian Fernandes, Navi MumbaiThank you Mother Mary and Don Bosco for all the marvelous blessingand graces we received. Mr. Joy D'Souza, BombayOur grateful thanks to Jesus, Mother Mary and Don Bosco for favoursreceived. E. Furtado, GoaOur sincere thanks dear Mother Mary Help of Christians and Don Boscofor helping us cancel our agreement with a builder.

Oswald Rebello, ThaneThanks dear Mother Mary and Don Bosco for helping my sister reach

Ireland safely. Clementine Cecelia, TarnakaMy heartfelt thanks Blessed Mother Mary and Don Bosco for grantingmy son Clyde a good job in the USA and for protecting my family.

Emily Nash, RatlamThank you Mother Mary and Don Bosco for curing me when I was in avery critical condition and for keeping my family safe.

Mr. Baptist Fernandes, PuneI am grateful to Our Lady Help of Christians and Don Bosco for all thegraces and favours I received through your intercession. S. Monteiro

Thank you Mother Mary and Don Bosco for miraculous favours received.Mrs. T.N. D'Silva, ChennaiDear Mary Help of Christians, Don Bosco and Dominic Savio thankyou for the many graces and favours I received through yourintercession. Cyril & Effy Vaz, DahisarFor all the graces and favours I have received through the intercessionof Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco I am grateful.

Mrs. Julie NoronhaThank you for curing my husband after a serious operation and for

keeping us all safe dear Mother Mary and Don Bosco.Isabella Lobo, BahrainThank you Mother Mary and Don Bosco for helping my son get a good

job. Anthony Netty Sequeira, GoaI am grateful to Our Blessed Mother and Don Bosco for all the gracesgranted especially for the gift of a healthy baby boy.

Vailankan & Avila NazarethThank you Mother Mary and Don Bosco for gifting us with a healthybaby boy and for many other favours I received. N. Chaves, Bombay

Thank you dear Don Bosco for curing my daughter Risa.Alitha, Rego, Goa

Date post:	09-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	eskjsdkjks
View:	218 times
Download:	0 times

Pier Luigi Roglia

Documents